Jeff Fassero : biography

January 5, 1963 -

Jeffrey Joseph Fassero (born January 5, 1963 in Springfield, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.

Professional career

Montreal Expos

Fassero was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 22nd round of the amateur draft, but he bounced around in the minors for several years until he joined the Montreal Expos in . At 28, Fassero was somewhat old for a rookie, but pitched well for the team and eventually made it to the starting rotation by the season. That same year he posted an impressive ERA of 2.29.

Seattle Mariners

Fassero was traded to the Seattle Mariners after the season in exchange for Chris Widger and Trey Moore, Fassero had one of his best seasons for the Mariners in . That season he posted a 16-9 won-loss record with a 3.61 ERA in 35 starts.

Rangers, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals

Fassero enjoyed some stability during his time with the Mariners, but after a mid-season trade to the Texas Rangers in he would wind up playing on eight different teams in only seven seasons. He proved to no longer be effective as a regular starter, so he was moved into the bullpen. While with the St. Louis Cardinals, Fassero made a few starts in the season, and would make occasional starts until the end of his career.

Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks

While with the Colorado Rockies in , Fassero got into a dispute with Colorado management when he was called on to make a spot start on short notice.Associated Press. . ESPN. September 27, 2004. Fassero said that he would not be ready in time, and was subsequently released by the Rockies due to what then-manager Clint Hurdle called "philosophical differences".

He almost immediately signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he only made one appearance with the team, pitching one perfect inning in relief.

San Francisco Giants

Fassero signed with the Giants on December 15, , and remained on the team until May 8, 2006 when the Giants designated Fassero for assignment. The move cleared room on the team's roster for left-handed starting pitcher Noah Lowry.

On February 9, 2007 he announced his retirement. espn.go.com In the winter of 2008, though, Fassero pitched with Mayos de Navojoa in Liga Mexicana del Pacífico before he finally retired for good.

Minor League Coach

Fassero was hired in December 2009 as the pitching coach for the Boise Hawks, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in the Class 'A' short-season Northwest League.

For the 2011 season, Fassero was promoted to pitching coachhttp://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20101216&content_id=16330914&vkey=news_t443&fext=.jsp&sid=t443 of the Peoria Chiefs in the Midwest League.

Jeff Fassero received a promotion to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs) for the 2012 season.